{"id":100,"date":"2013-04-11T14:53:17","date_gmt":"2013-04-11T18:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cusjc.ca\/muskoka\/?p=100"},"modified":"2013-04-20T20:36:05","modified_gmt":"2013-04-21T00:36:05","slug":"bringing-it-back-the-argument-for-cultural-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/muskoka\/?p=100","title":{"rendered":"Part 7: Bringing Muskoka back to its roots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Muskoka\u2019s heritage as a vacation destination is laden with deep-rooted traditions, from its farming beginning through to its golden era of resorts, and many argue that its history is truly the thing that makes it special.
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\nIn fact, according to historian Liz Lundell, focusing on Muskoka\u2019s heritage may be the only way for the area to attract the kind of interest it once had.<\/p>\n

\"Duke<\/a>

Duke Marine Services is one of the buildings involved in Doors Open Muskoka. Between 1924 and 1968, 400 boats were built at Duke’s; today the building is used to restore antique boats.
Photo by Erin Morawetz<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing as travel around the world becomes more homogenized, is what do we have that\u2019s unique, that attracts people to your area, and certainly heritage is a big part of that,\u201d Lundell says. \u201cIt\u2019s what we do differently here that make us a place that people want to come and visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep talking about the benefits of preserving the heritage as part of your tourism package.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lundell currently sits on the Muskoka chapter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, a group that formed in the absence of a Muskoka heritage committee between 2006 and 2011. One major initiative the group has undertaken is Doors Open Muskoka, a two-day event that showcases many of Muskoka\u2019s most historic and significant buildings, such as Duke\u2019s Marina, an old boat-building operation, the train station in Gravenhurst, and several old cottages.<\/p>\n

Lundell says the success of the Doors Open weekend over the last number of years reinforces the significant impact that cultural tourism can have on a community, and, in turn, an economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe find people come to Muskoka for it and they make a weekend out of it,\u201d she says. \u201cThey stay overnight, they dine in restaurants, go shopping, and really take advantage of this cultural tourism.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Lundell says it’s not just newcomers to Muskoka who enjoy the event, but also people who have been familiar with the Muskoka region for years.<\/p>\n

“Barkway, east of Gravenhurst, participated (in 2012) and there was a big old barn filled with family memorabilia. When I walked in in the middle of the afternoon there were 50 people in there, many who had come from great distances to come back and visit where they grew up or where their grandparents lived,” she says. “It’s a great mechanism to connect with roots.”<\/p>\n

“Sometimes it’s local people, too, who enjoy going around the properties and hearing the history.”<\/p>\n

For heritage expert Marc Letourneau, it is a major mistake for a community, especially one with so much heritage, to overlook the significant potential for cultural tourism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep talking about the benefits of preserving the heritage as part of your tourism package.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Heritage<\/a>

Heritage is everywhere in Muskoka: the Port Carling Wall was unveiled in 2005 as part of a revitalization project for the town.
Photo by Erin Morawetz<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThere are some really significant stories to be told in terms of things like logging, colonialism, our understanding of nature, and the history of tourism itself and the large resorts up there,\u201d he says. \u201cThe resort experience is one that comes to mind for me, to be able to go to the resort and experience that self-contained place, but there are also a number of historic sites in the area that could be focused on more, and even the scenic qualities, and the stories about the scenic qualities. For example, there\u2019s a strong First Nations presence in Muskoka, and I think there are lots of opportunities for partnership there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCultural tourism gives you the chance to highlight what\u2019s special about a community, those unique qualities.\u201d<\/p>\n

And for Lundell, focusing on the unique qualities of Muskoka may just be the only answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful location: the forests, the lakes, the water quality,\u201d she says. \u201cBut (there\u2019s also) the roots, the heritage, the tradition of coming to Muskoka.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who go to Europe don\u2019t go because they want to have Subway and stay in the same kind of massive hotel room they could stay at in Toronto,\u201d she adds. \u201cThey\u2019re looking for an authentic experience, something real that tells a story about that locale.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that as people become more engaged in really seeking out genuine experiences and engaging with the communities they\u2019re visiting that they will see the value of these places that tell the story of Muskoka and continue to do so.”<\/p>\n

\u201cCultural tourism gives you the chance to highlight what\u2019s special about a community, those unique qualities.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This shift in thinking may be just around the corner. The current Township of Muskoka Lakes council reinstated a heritage committee in 2011, something that had not existed since the previous committee disbanded in 2006.<\/p>\n

\"On-board<\/a>

Passengers on board the Wenonah II buzzed in excitement on Aug. 18, 2012.
Photo by Erin Morawetz<\/p><\/div>\n

The Port Carling Wall, unveiled in 2005, is composed of thousands of historic photos of the region, while museums in both Port Carling and Gravenhurst have dedicated rooms to Muskoka\u2019s long history of resorts.<\/p>\n

And in the summer of 2012, in celebration of the Segwun steamship\u2019s 125th<\/sup> anniversary, there was a highly successful commemorative boat trip up the three major lakes called the \u201c100 Mile Cruise,\u201d a classic tourist attraction that hadn\u2019t been offered since 1958. Tickets aboard\u00a0the Segwun and the Wenonah II, another historic steamship,\u00a0were sold out by mid-June, and on Aug. 18, 2012, crowds of people gathered at the locks at Port Carling, where Lake Muskoka meets Lake Rosseau, to watch the ships pass through.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The 100 Mile Cruise used to be offered quite frequently, as pictured here at Port Carling in 1953, but after 1958 it wasn’t offered until 2012.
Photo courtesy of Alf Mortimer<\/p><\/div>\n

There indeed appears to be an appetite for not only promoting tradition and heritage in Muskoka, but also protecting it. Despite the community’s industrial history, residents in Bala, a small community between Gravenhurst and Port Carling, have banded together to fight against a proposed hydro plant to be built on the Bala Falls, arguing it will take away from the heritage and aesthetic landscape of the area. The project has been given the go-ahead, but the resistance still runs rampant.<\/p>\n

But not everyone seems to be sold yet on the value that heritage can bring to Muskoka. Though the purpose of the heritage committee is very well supported by the Township of Muskoka Lakes council, its budget has been a topic of debate in 2013, as several councillors are skeptical of how much money heritage conservation studies are worth.<\/p>\n

And Letourneau says it’s common for stakeholders to be hesitant about spending money on cultural tourism and heritage conservation because it’s difficult to envision the potential financial return.<\/p>\n

The same goes when it comes to participation in traditional events. Organizers of the annual Muskoka Lakes Association Regatta, the oldest continuously run co-ed regatta in North America, are currently debating bringing in new events to entice more people to participate. Some argue that preserving the regatta in its traditional form is the most important thing, but organizers say the event must evolve with the times.<\/p>\n

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